This invention relates to an access means into a fish cooler, ice chest, or related type of thermally insulated case, and which provides means for ease of deposition of fish or other aquatic animals therein, as when one ventures upon a fishing expedition, so as to facilitate the storage of fish once caught, and to alleviate the need of having to continuously open the lid of the chest, or live well, and the accompanying inconvenience associated therewith.
There are a variety of prior art patents that are available for holding various animals, and closure means that are used in conjunction therewith, but it is not believed that such have been constructed in the manner as developed by the applicant, for facilitating the deposition of particularly fish into a live well or insulated ice chest, or the like. For example, the patent to Hoskins, U.S. Pat. No. 611,753, discloses a folding coop for poultry. In incorporates a spring loaded trap door within its top board for facilitating the insertion or removal of poultry from within a coop.
The patent to Sinclair, U.S. Pat. No. 752,600, discloses what appears to be a standard basket type of fish enclosure. It incorporates a spring loaded cover, such as the shown plate, and through which a fish may be deposited for entrance into the basket, as shown therein. The spring-loaded cover, through which the fish may be deposited, must have force exerted upon it to achieve its opening, as through the weight of the fish, but the particular structure utilized for fabrication of this basket, it is submitted, is quite distinct from the current invention.
The patent to Marble, U.S. Pat. No. 1,388,187, shows another type of creel or trout basket, and once again, it includes a pair of doors through which fish may be deposited into the shown basket. A pair of compartments are disclosed, one for holding fish, while the other may be used for holding equipment, bait, or the like.
The patent to Lane, U.S. Pat. No. 1,489,255, shows another style of fishing creel. This particular device is quite similar to what has been shown in the earlier described prior art patents herein, and includes a spring-biased door that closes its opening within the cover for the shown device.
The patent to Collins, U.S. Pat. No. 1,719,591, shows a form of fish box, and which includes, once again, a door for providing closure for its opening, and through which fish may be inserted after being caught. A spring hinge is useful for maintaining the shown door in closure.
The United States patent to Wells, U.S. Pat. No. 2,560,054, shows a boat creel, and what may be shown as what appears to be a sleeve type of opening through its top closure, in actual practice, is nothing more than another closure that is spring biased into a closed position, by means of a hinge, for closing off the shallow opening of the disclosed creel.
The patent to Dick, U.S. Pat. No. 2,566,719, shows another variation upon a fish basket. But, once again, in this particular instance, its cover plate is simply spring hinged into position for enclosure of its opening. Obviously, as with all of the baskets or creels as previously described herein, the pressure of the fish or its weight applied to the cover will open it to attain entrance of the fish therein, for its deposit into the shown baskets.
The patent to Witt, U.S. Pat. No. 2,800,244, is for use upon an entirely different structure. In this case, it is a cover for a garbage receptical. It is to be noted that this patent does show a little greater depth for its cover arrangement, although, as can be seen, its flap is generally arranged by means of a hinge proximate the upper perimeter or opening of the shown device. But, the shown structure does not present the principle of incorporating a length of tube or cylinder into a structure so as to assure that once material is deposited into such a cylinder, it will fall through its hinged lid, at its bottom thereof, for deposition into a retainer, such as occurs with the invention of this application.
The patent to Williamson, U.S. Pat. No. 2,948,986, shows a bait holder and dispenser. This particular device is moderately pertinent to the current invention, since it does show a length of sleeve, cylindrical in nature, extending through the top wall of its shown box. But, as can be noted, its cover is at the upper end of the disclosed sleeve, not at its bottom, nor is any indication that it is spring biased into closure. Thus, the concept of this prior art disclosure, as shown in this bait holder is generally designed for preventing the escape of grasshoppers or crickets, and not to function for the reverse situation, and that is to allow fish to be deposited into a sleeve or cylinder, thereby preventing their wiggling free, from the fisherman, or the chest in which they are to be deposited, with the bottom end of the cylinder having a cover that is spring biased to the same, so that the weight of the fish can cause the cover or closure means to open, and allow their automatic deposition therein without further effort or participation on the part of the fisherman.
The patent to Majka, U.S. Pat. No. 3,225,983, shows another form of combination of fishing creel and portable cooler. In this particular instance, the cooler simply contains a top cover, through which a central access opening is provided, and having a hand grip arranged upon a closure member for closing it off. Thus, while this device shows an aperture provided through the central portion of a cooler, other than that particular feature, it does not embody any of the other principles of this current development.
The patent to Chiu, U.S. Pat. No. 3,559,329, shows a form of a device identified as a bag, formed of straw, or the like, and has a neck portion integrally formed in it, through which fish, as noted, are inserted. The closure for the neck portion is attained through the expandable and resilient strips, which open as the fish is deposited therein, but which snap back into closure, as shown.
The United States patent to Mele, U.S. Pat. No. 3,749,274, shows another form of receptacle with spring hinge closure. This device is for use upon garbage cans, not fish receptacles, and simply incorporate another type of closure which is spring biased by means of the hinge means, to retain the closure into a closed position. There is a member provided behind the cover that is apparently furnished for the purpose of ventilation.
The patent to Brower, U.S. Pat. No. 4,008,540, shows another form of insulated fishing creel. This device is pertinent from the standpoint that it includes a tapered opening, through which the fish is deposited during entrance into the shown creel. Its door is spring biased, by means of a torsion spring, as noted.
Finally, the patent to Dunham, U.S. Pat. No. 4,070,786, discloses a fish receiving hopper. It shows a modified cooler, described as a conventional ice chest, and wherein its hopper means is formed through the lid portion, in order to provide a form of chute through which fish may be slid against its door during their deposition within the disclosed cooler. While this particular device may attain similar results to what is designed for the current invention, the structure involved, and its method of operation, is yet quite distinct from the invention to be defined and disclosed herein.